In A Changing Climate, Science Fiction Starts To Feel Real
In response to The White House's new report on climate change, author Lev Grossman has some recommended reading. It's a novel called The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi.
Books
For Artistic Criminal, Breaking Rules Is Key To 'Creativity'
Performer Philippe Petit, who walked between the World Trade Center towers in 1974, says the difference between the average criminal and an artistic one is that the former takes and the latter gives.
Seeing The Whole Picture In We'll Go To 'Coney Island'
In a collection of old photos, Barbara Scheiber spotted her father and his mistress on the Coney Island boardwalk. She talks to NPR's Scott Simon about her new book, We'll Go to Coney Island.
Remembering Author Farley Mowat, Who 'Wore His Kilt Dangerously'
Canadian writer Farley Mowat has died at the age of 92. The prolific author published 45 books, perhaps the most popular of which was Never Cry Wolf.
A Cartoonist's Funny, Heartbreaking Take On Caring For Aging Parents
In Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, Roz Chast combines text, cartoons, sketches and photos to describe her interactions with her parents during the last years of their lives.
From Poker Amateur To World Series Competitor In 'The Noble Hustle'
Colson Whitehead's new book was born of an assignment to write about the World Series of Poker for Grantland. It's a sharp observational tale of the game, those who play it and how it changed him.
In 'Hotel Florida,' Three Couples Chronicle The Spanish Civil War
Biographer Amanda Vaill's new book delves deeply into the lives of journalists like Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gellhorn, whose documenting of the war helped shape public perception.
The Making Of 'Godzilla,' Japan's Favorite 'Mon-Star'
Steve Ryfle is the author of a book about the making of the film and its many sequels. He spoke to Fresh Air in 2004, on the film's 50th anniversary.
How An Army Officer And Diplomat Wrote His Way Through Trauma
After a decade of witnessing death and bloodshed in five different wars, Ron Capps developed post-traumatic stress disorder. His memoir, Seriously Not All Right, chronicles his battles.
A Fire Sparks Rivalry And Suspicion In 'The Art Of Secrets'
The Art of Secrets is the young-adult story of an investigation centered on a suspected hate crime in Chicago. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with the book's author, high school librarian James Klise.